Improvement in corsets



WILLIAM W. NETTERFIELD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 82,147, elated September 15, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT 1N GORSBTS.

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'IO ILL WHOM IT MAY OONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. NE'ETERFIELD, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invcnteda certain new and useful Improvement in Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andvexaet description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front View of my improved corset applied to theperson.

Figure 2, a side view ol' the same.l

Figure 3, a rear view. i

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. V

It is my design, in this improvement, to produce a corset 'that shall adapt itself to the form perfectly, and retain its shape at all times.

The invention consists in combining with the corset an arrangement of stiifeners or springs, as hereinafter set forth, whereby the contour of the breasts is formed without'pads or stufling, anrl the shoulders and hips arerelieved from undue pressure, an advantage also being attained by the use of hooks attached to the corset. for suspending the skirts without binding the waist.

As represented in the drawing, A is the corset, boomingV or otherwise connecting in front, as shown in fig. 1, and lacing or otherwise connecting in the rear, as showin iig. 3.

In addition to this ordinary means of connecting the corset'to the body,'it has straps, a a, (preferably elastic,) passing over the shoulders, and buckling, as clearly indicated in the drawings.

The points of the corset, in front and rear, extend much lower than in ordinary corsets, to support the abdomen and vertebral column.

The corset is provided with a suitable number of longitudinal stiieners, Zi b b, stitched in the cloth, as usual. Front springs, e c, on each side, are made to t the bust, extending from above the breasts `to the point below the waist. Similar rear springs, d d, are also made to t the back, extending from high in the shoulders to the point below the waistiin the rear, Side springs, f\f,also extend from under the arms downward, ending well over the hips. A

In order to produce the fit at the hips, I sew in gussets,'g g. Other vthan these gussets, each half of the corset is made from a single piece of cloth.`

The front and rear of the corset are made much higher than usual, as shown, in order to cover the breasts and the shoulders. My object in this is to avoid padding in front, and to it accurately the shoulder-blades in` the rear.

To accomplish the first, stiffeners, 7i It, are run diagonally from the point near the arms where the shoulderstraps attach, down centrally over the breasts, and till they intersect the front springs e c, as clearly shown.

Similar sti'ffeners, z'z', are also run over the breasts from the top of the front springs, till they intersect the longitudinal stiieners Il Za, that c.\j,tend from under the arms, and, nally, horizontal stifeners, c 7c, extend over the breasts from the front springs tu a point nearly under the amis. All these stiifencrs are bent outward at the desired position to give the proper contour to the breasts, as clearly shown.

In the rear, instead of the ordinary s'tiii'eners passing vertically over the shoulder-blades, I scwin diagonal stilicners, It, commencing at the* top near the attachment of the supporting shoulder-straps, and following directly the line or length of the snnlder-blades themselves, till finally they intersect the rearsprings d d.

-This arrangement i s clearly indicated in fig. 3.

Ordinary corsets do not come above the breasts, and, -in order to produce the desired contour and fullness of the latter, padding and stuffing are resorted to, which, by excluding air and producing pressure and perspiration, are very hurtful.

l:By forming the contour of the 'breasts by the extension of the corset upward, and the employment of the swelling-stiileners 7L z' It, as in myinyention, all these difficulties are avoided; for, while the desired form is produced,- there is no obstructiouto a free circulation of air, and no padding is employed to produce pressure or heat. The space is entirely unobstructed, and the breasts, in young persons, have a chance to form. This is of the utmost importance. v

By the employment of the diagonal stieners ll, I also avoid the diiiculties of the ordinary stiffeners directly crossing the shoulder-blades. In the ordinary device, the movements of the blade will Vact only on the central portion of the stiffener crossing it, and, consequently, the corset, each side, will gape or he thrown oli' from Ithe shoulder, which forms an imperfect lit.

In my case, the sti'ener, following the line ofv the blade, willbe thrown out equally in all parts, and the result will be not only a more perfect fit of the corset over the shoulder, but also greater ease and freedom of the shoulders themselves.

i By connecting the shoulder-strapse a with the corset, near the ends of the stieners h Z, they act as ''shonlder-braees, in addition to supporters.

m m are hooks or buckles for suspending the skirt, so arranged in relation to the lower ends 0i' the 'curvedspring stiiene'rs fthat the weight of the skirt 'devolves mainly upon the hips. The springs fbeing elastic, afford an easy support, and the surplus weight is distributed equally among the other parts, through the medium of theshouldenstraps and upright and diagonal stiieners. l i

The corset, when properly stiiened by the springs, and fitted accurately to the person, will retain the desired form without lacing, and without outside appliances.

The beauty of my 'invention is, that it does not lose its grace of form by use, since l prefer to employ tempered-steel springs and stiiieners, which always retain their elasticity.

What I claim aslmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

.The arrangement of the stiil'eners'h la, springs c c, diagonal shoulder-braces l Z, straps a a, backsti`eners b hooks or buckles rm m, and side-spring sti'eners ff, all as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. WM. W. NETTERFIELD. Witnesses:

R. F. Oscoop, J'. A. Davis. 

